An oystercatcher. File picture. Photo: CC BY-SA 2.0 Appie Verschoor
The Department of Conservation is investigating after reports of a tōrea pango / variable oystercatcher being shot at a beach in Golden Bay, in the Tasman district.
Police also confirmed on Tuesday afternoon officers had been called to Onekaka on 5 January, following reports that a group of young people were shooting an air rifle, and that a bird had been reportedly shot.
They said they were working with DOC to investigate the incident.
"Police identified and spoke with the young people involved in this incident with education provided to them and their family, including only using air rifles while supervised by an adult, securing the air rifle, and not to shoot them on the beach," they said in a statement.
Officers would be speaking to all parties to identify whether any protected wildlife were harmed.
DOC's Takaka operations manager Ross Trotter said they received reports of the incident at Onekaka Beach last week.
While there were some reports the bird had been killed, DOC had not seen any remains as yet.
Tōrea were large, native shorebirds protected under the Wildlife Act, and it was illegal to harm or kill them, he said.
Their conservation status is recovering.
DOC is asking anyone with more information about the incident to call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Forest and Bird's regional conservation manager for the top of the South Island, Scott Burnett, said he was saddened by the incident.
"This sort of thing is devastating. Our birds, our shorebirds, they're really on the back foot, and we need to be doing everything we can to look after them," Burnett said.
"And we struggle to see how people can do these sorts of things, our wildlife is such an integral part of our national identity."
Forest and Bird has noticed an increase in reports of inappropriate interactions with wildlife over the summer period, as more New Zealanders were visiting the coastlines during this time.
He said the disturbances from humans was additional pressure to wildlife already facing many challenges.
"Regardless of the threat status to the species, all of our wildlife faces challenges, whether that's reduced habitat, predation from the animals we've introduced - possum and rats and stoats and things. For our shorebirds and seabirds, this sort of sedimentation in our coastal marine environment impacts their ability to gather food."
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